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History

President Roosevelt orders rural electrification

President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order to electrify rural areas. This order not only provided rural electrification, it also provided jobs for Americans who desperately needed them during the depression.

May 11, 1935

REA becomes permanent

Congress approved the Rural Electrification Act and Roosevelt signed the legislation, making the Rural Electrification Administration a permanent federal agency. This Act allowed REA to receive funding and in turn offer low interest loans to rural residents who created electric cooperatives and brought power to rural America.

May 20, 1936

Jones County EPA receives REA loan

Jones County Electric Power Association received one such REA loan. Seven months later, Jones County EPA began offering electric service to rural areas of Jones County, as well as surrounding areas.

July 15, 1938

700 Members served

Jones County EPA served 700 members along 230 miles of power line.

EARLY YEARS

Dixie EPA was located on Ellisville Boulevard in Laurel. Two employees operated the office while General Manager Stover Smith answered service calls, along with Serviceman Lenard Breazeale. These employees not only built lines for the rural areas, they also taught rural residents how to benefit from this new-found power source.

December 31, 1939

Dixie EPA expands

Dixie moved from Ellisville Boulevard to a wooden office building at 317 South Magnolia Street in Laurel. Dixie Electric purchased the property from Alfred McRae.

After building a new brick facility, Dixie rented the wooden office building to Dr. Earl McRae. After Dr. McRae moved out, Dixie moved its linemen and engineering departments into the building. From 1949 to 1970, Dixie Electric’s headquarters operated from this location. The offices were expanded several times to accommodate the growing number of employees.

January 1, 1943

Jones County EPA becomes Dixie EPA

Jones County EPA changed its name to Dixie Electric Power Association include Wayne County and parts of other neighboring counties. By 1950, the Association grew to 1,735 members and encompassed more than 700 miles of line.

December 31, 1949

Waynesboro branch opens

Dixie Electric opened its first branch office on Highway 84 in Waynesboro.

December 31, 1949

Petal branch opens

Dixie Electric opened another branch office at 101 West Eighth Avenue in Petal. While at the South Magnolia location Stover Smith retired, and in 1964, Ora Beasley became General Manager.

January 1, 1952

Dixie Electric moved to its present location on Highway 184.

January 15, 1971

James T. Dudley, Jr. is named General Manager

July 1, 1975

Data partnership

Dixie Electric partners with a Central Area Data Process for software applications in the areas of billing, service orders, work orders and accounting. CADP later expanded and changed it name to National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC). This is the current enterprise computer system used by Dixie Electric.

February 1, 1996

Petal branch expands

A new building was built for the Petal branch office on Highway 42 in Petal.

October 1, 2000

Waynesboro branch moves

The Waynesboro branch office relocated next door from their old office on Azalea Drive. The former bank building was purchased and renovated to better accommodate the needs of the members in Wayne County.

January 1, 2004

Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina devastated Dixie Electric’s service territory, knocking down trees and lines. All of Dixie Electric’s members were without electric power. Restoration took three weeks.

August 29, 2005

James T. Dudley, Jr. retires

James T. Dudley, Jr. retires and Alan Bradley, long-time engineering manager, is named the new General Manager.

January 25, 2008

James T. Dudley, Jr. returns

James T. Dudley, Jr. returns to serve as Interim General Manager.

November 1, 2010

Randy Smith becomes General Manager

Randy Smith is selected as the General Manager and James T. Dudley, Jr. retires.